2 gunrunning suspects fall in Navotas, yield pistol, P100K shabu

Caliber .45 pistol, suspected shabu and marked cash seized from the suspects. (Photo from Northern Police District)

MANILA, Philippines — Two alleged gunrunners were arrested by officers of the Navotas City police on Saturday shortly after handing a caliber .45 pistol to an undercover police officer.

Police identified the suspects as Rhey-Chell Bitoin, 33, and Camille Castro, 24. The suspects were nabbed by elements of the Northern Police District’s (NPD) Special Operation Unit during the sting in Barangay Tanza.

A report from the NPD on Sunday said Bitoin and Castro sold the caliber .45 pistol with a magazine loaded with five bullets for P6,000 to the undercover police officer who posed as the buyer.

Police also said they recovered from the suspects four plastic sachets of suspected shabu (crystal meth) weighing around 11 grams.

The suspects were brought to the NPD headquarters to face criminal complaints, while the seized pistol and shabu will be taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory Office in Camp Crame for examination, police said. / muf